


heartbreak girl

by momcreep



Category: The Outsiders - All Media Types
Genre: Also fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort/Angst, F/M, M/M, also she's a Cool Feminist, and there's lots of tears, bc johnny confronts dal, btw cherry's kinda ooc but it was needed for the plot, cherry is a badass and doesn't take shit from anyone, cherry understands, dally is mean to him n it makes him v sad, dally likes to sexually harass girls to cover up his love for johnnycakes, i just really fucking love cherry, lil johnny sticks up 4 cherry, platonic cherry/johnny, they bond over their boyfriends being dicks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 09:16:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6073690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momcreep/pseuds/momcreep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>it’s only then you realize there’s probably something more than just friendship going on between dallas winston and that boy, because now he looks as if he’s about to cry, and it kind of makes you want to scoop him up in your arms and tell him everything will be okay, because you know exactly how he feels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	heartbreak girl

**Author's Note:**

> idk i just really love cherry and dally and johnny alot alot alot so here's a thing. also the second chapter will be up l8r n will feature jally tears & cuddles. be prepared

when you meet your boyfriend at the drive-in, he’s drunk. bob’s hands find your waist and as he leans down to kiss you, you can smell the familiar scent of jack daniels on his tongue. you think back to two weeks ago, when his parents bailed him out of the pen. he was caught driving with a blood alcohol content five times the legal limit. you remember going to the station at 3 a.m, crying into his big arms as he shushed you, told you he would never touch a bottle ever again. you can’t help but feel like your feelings have been broken down into tiny, miniscule pieces, and made out to be nothing more than a load of shit. your tiny hands push him off of you, because although you love him, cherry valance _does not_ put up with liars.  
   robert sheldon yells after you as you strut towards the entrance of the Nightly Dive, but you ignore him. marcia asks you if you’re alright, if you’d rather go home, but being the stubborn girl you are, you refuse. you came here to see a movie, and you’re going to see it, even if some stupid boy is making your chest ache, and even if bob isn’t some stupid boy. you’re independent; you don’t need him to make you happy.

    the first thing you’re able to register once you sit down is the stench of grease coming from behind you. you spin your head around, strawberry blonde curls bouncing. dallas winston and his gang are _right there_ , and when your face meets with worn down black-faded-green boots, the chest ache you had turns into searing pain. dally’s got his hands all over you and although you probably would’ve liked it at one point, just to get back at bob, right now all you really want to do is dwell in your sadness without some hood trying to get in your pants.  
  
a tiny boy, about 5’5, johnny, you think his name is, stands up. he tells dallas to cut it out, twice. dally retorts childishly with some curses, and the 50% angry, 50% nervous look johnny had vanishes, and is replaced with one you can’t quite explain, yet you know what it means, because it’s the same look you’ve had too many times, when you’re fighting with bob and he calls you worthless, when he tells you he could never love you. you know it’s not true, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. dallas huffs and kicks the fold up chair down before he leaves johnny standing there, wide eyed. ponyboy tugs on his jacket sleeve, whispering, “johnnycakes, he didn’t mean it, you know how dal gets,” and he nods, but The Look still remains, and it doesn’t leave until two-bit comes and drags pony away, off to do god knows what.  
it’s only then you realize there’s probably something more than just friendship going on between dallas winston and that boy, because now he looks as if he’s about to cry, and it kind of makes you want to scoop him up in your arms and tell him everything will be okay, because you know exactly how he feels. you’re not even paying attention to the movie now- just staring at johnny. marcia taps your shoulder, worriedly, and asks you if you want to go home. you shake your head and tell her to go make up with randy.  
  
  
     after she leaves, you pick up your bag and plop down right next to him, without saying a word. you feel his eyes on you, probably confused as to why a Soc was sitting by a Greaser. you keep your eyes on the movie screen. “you’re in love with him, aren’t you,” you ask, rhetorically, because you already know the answer, you just want to hear him say it himself, and you have a feeling that he doesn’t really know what love is.  
he doesn’t answer, but you see him grip his blue jeans anxiously. “hey, relax,” you say, trying to soothe his nerves. “i’m a Soc, but that doesn’t mean i bite,” you chuckle, trying to joke, but he doesn’t laugh. you turn towards him and he looks up at you like he thinks he’s offended you. your cherry chapstick lips form a smile, and you grab his wrist, standing up. “c’mon, johnny, let's go someplace quiet.”  
he trails behind you like a lost puppy, and you both ignore the stares you get from a group of Socs dressed in madras. you feel him tense in your grip. “aren’t-aren’t you like, embarrassed to be seen with me?” he asks, stuttering. but you’re too high on this feeling-the one where you’re in between happiness and sadness, the one where you want to scream and cry and laugh too loudly, and maybe stab someone- to care about whether you’re a Soc or a Greaser or anything else- all you want to do is help this boy. which is weird, because since when did cherry valance want to help a Greaser?  
  
now, you think.  
  
  
you ignore his question until you reach the parking lot. “i’m not, actually. not every Soc is like that, you know,” you say, leaning against the wire fence. (it’s digging into your back, but you don’t seem to notice.) johnny blows a ring of smoke from his cigarette you didn’t know he lit, and joins you in your leaning against the fence. “yeah, well, i’ve met too many who are.” you frown at him for a moment, before feeling a little rebellious. “hey, pass me a cancer stick,” you ask, and he stares at you like you’re crazy. perhaps you are, just a little bit. “didn’t know you smoked,” he chuckles, pulling one from his pack and putting it in your palm. “i don’t,” you grin, and so does he. “light me up, johnnycakes,” you say, putting the paper-wrapped-chemicals between your lips. your mother told you to never do this. he flicks the lighter and within a second the ember is burning, a small glow in the darkness of the lot. you think that the glow is somewhat a resemblance of your existence in the grand scheme of things, so insignificant, yet so bright. before you can let your mind spiral into an existential crisis, johnny speaks. “sorry ‘bout earlier, dal’s a real douche sometimes,” he says, shoving a hand in his pocket. “i figured,” you exhale. “but it’s fine, i’m kinda used to stuff like that.” johnny looks at you, somewhat confused. “yeah, my boyfriend- he gets a little outta hand sometimes, y’know, like when he’s drinkin.” he pushes himself off the fence with his shoulder, flicking his cigarette on the ground. “why do you stay with him, then?” he asks, looking at his shoes.  
  
you smile, solemnly. “why do you?”  
  
the boy’s head snaps up like he’s been shot.  
  
“i- how did you-” he starts, but you cut him off. “it’s The Look you had, when he kept flirtin’ with me, and then again when he cursed at you,” you toss your cig next to johnny’s, and then you stomp on it, effectively putting the light out. “i know, because it’s the same look i get when bob’s flirting with lisa daniels or when he’s downed two bottles of jack.” johnny bites his lip. “just because i put up with dallas, doesn’t mean you should have to put up with bob,” he says, scuffing his converse against the concrete. you let out a sigh and close your eyes for a moment, letting the night breeze wash over your face. you look ethereal. “that’s the thing, johnnycakes,” you say, opening your eyes again. “we shouldn’t have to ‘put up’ with people. that’s not what love is, i don’t think,” you turn your head to face him, and he looks melancholic; like you’ve just explained the universe to him. “why do we give people so much? me and you, johnny. why do we pour our hearts out and get so little in return?” he stares at you for a moment, and you notice there’s tears in his eyes. “i wish i knew, cherry,” johnny says sadly.  
  
you smile and look up at the moon. “me and bob- it’s too late for us. 2 years and he still hasn’t changed. still does what he promises he won’t do. but you and dallas, it’s not too late,” you say, looking at him. “you still have time to make it right.”  
  
and with that, johnny takes off.


End file.
